Mr Knightley.I think that its worse when the sun comes out like today,I had to go shopping and all the lardies were there in shorts and flip flops ,I do think that you can dress casually and still be stylish.

One good bit of news that I would like to share,is that I found a website for Choice clothing earlier today,they have a sale and several styles of Barbour jacket are 50% off ( not the Sedgewick unfortunately),so you could save £100 on some models.

Ironically the man in the blazer probably feels it is somehow unseemly to go about in beachwear for fear of attracting unwanted attention. But the joke is on him.

I always seem to have a big stapress-sized gap in my clothing, say somewhere between jeans and POW dress trousers. Difficult to pin down exactly but I have never really been happy with chinos, maybe because I find it hard to actually remember much about stapress apart from the colours. A very anonymous item. I like the white trouser look of the cad though, shades of both the gentlemans cricket whites and the bootboys white skinners! Had to google white ducks to see what they were and learned that white jeans/chinos are apparently very SS14. I wouldn't have guessed by looking in the shops.Edited by covskin - 3/29/14 at 1:39pm

I always seem to have a big stapress-sized gap in my clothing, say somewhere between jeans and POW dress trousers. Difficult to pin down exactly but I have never really been happy with chinos somehow. Like the white trouser look of the cad though, shades of both the gentlemans cricket whites and the bootboys white skinners! Had to google white ducks to see what they were and learned that white jeans/chinos are apparently very SS14. I wouldn't have guessed by looking in the shops.

I find casual trousers a problem too,got some cords in the sales,and I bought some cotton jeans a while back at Hugo Boss shop in a sale again.

In Bristol an alternative to the white Skinners were "navy whites" from the military surplus shop,wear them once and stick em in the boil wash.

I am not keen on very light trousers or jackets,they can get shabby very quickly,thats why I don't like stone harringtons or raincoats.

Mr Knightley.I think that its worse when the sun comes out like today,I had to go shopping and all the lardies were there in shorts and flip flops ,I do think that you can dress casually and still be stylish.

Do you know, I read your word 'lardies' as 'ladies'! I suppose you are referring to both gender anyway.

But I didn't want to let your point about the challenge of dressing in the warmer weather go without a comment or two. The Englishman has always been a reserved sort of a chap (until we adopted the American-inspired culture we have today) and, living in a genrally damp, mild climate, he has struggled when the sun peeps out. The image of the man in sandals and sox springs to mind. So, my first question is has being brought up with 'The Look' helped us cope with this challenge?

The next is a point about how fashions (for men and women) shift over time from the very covered-up look of the Victorians to the near nudity of today. This is not new and I think this thread on Ask Andy gives us a wonderful historical perspective and, IMO is not wholly outside the theme of this thread for we remain tied to the past through our clothing:

I like the following ideas in particular:
'Modern man has thus been stripped down to his underwear, to live out the nude ideal. We must ask ourselves if the next generation will devise a way of dressing with a greater illusion of nudity than ever before. Or perhaps things will come full circle once more so that the Second Age of Nudity will be supplanted by a new age of conservative reactionary dressiness akin to the Victorian era?'

Mr Knightley.I think that its worse when the sun comes out like today,I had to go shopping and all the lardies were there in shorts and flip flops ,I do think that you can dress casually and still be stylish.

Do you know, I read your word 'lardies' as 'ladies'! I suppose you are referring to both gender anyway.

But I didn't want to let your point about the challenge of dressing in the warmer weather go without a comment or two. The Englishman has always been a reserved sort of a chap (until we adopted the American-inspired culture we have today) and, living in a genrally damp, mild climate, he has struggled when the sun peeps out. The image of the man in sandals and sox springs to mind. So, my first question is has being brought up with 'The Look' helped us cope with this challenge?

The next is a point about how fashions (for men and women) shift over time from the very covered-up look of the Victorians to the near nudity of today. This is not new and I think this thread on Ask Andy gives us a wonderful historical perspective and, IMO is not wholly outside the theme of this thread for we remain tied to the past through our clothing:

I like the following ideas in particular:
'Modern man has thus been stripped down to his underwear, to live out the nude ideal. We must ask ourselves if the next generation will devise a way of dressing with a greater illusion of nudity than ever before. Or perhaps things will come full circle once more so that the Second Age of Nudity will be supplanted by a new age of conservative reactionary dressiness akin to the Victorian era?'

Mr Knightley ,The "lardies" were of both genders ( I think,its hard to tell when they get to that size !),I doubt that they were ladies though.

I remember in the heatwave last summer that there was a well off subject debate on shorts and summer apparel on the Mod to Suedehead thread,maybe it would be an interesting topic here ?.

I think that English men have a reputation for not dressing in a flattering way in the sun/heat,how should shorts be worn ?, maybe like the Royal Navy used to wear in the tropics with long white socks ? certainly not like a 20 stone football supporter wearing club shorts and socks together.

Typically the traditional view of Englishmen wearing shorts is comical,Charles Hawtrey ( Carry on camping ) the Verger in Dads Army ( a Sea Scout ) for instance.

Surely though shorts could be worn without looking comical ?, but how long should they be ? what colour or material to avoid ? what style is best ? what socks / shoes to wear them with ? what shirt ? and do shorts have any place in the look during the summer months ?.

I remember in the heatwave last summer that there was a well off subject debate on shorts and summer apparel on the Mod to Suedehead thread,maybe it would be an interesting topic here ?.

...

Surely though shorts could be worn without looking comical ?, but how long should they be ? what colour or material to avoid ? what style is best ? what socks / shoes to wear them with ? what shirt ? and do shorts have any place in the look during the summer months ?.

Interesting question, no precedent for shorts back then so forces you to think a bit.

Patch madras would look good as shorts, not too overpowering on a smaller garment and a suitably fun context too. Around mid-thigh. Create a backstory of how we all used to make these shorts from old Ben Sherman, Brutus and Jaytex while listening to ska and northern soul through gritted teeth. Make a bundle and retire!

On the feet - something like a Superga looks suitable, navy/white or something like that. I think socks yes/no, colour, height depends a lot more on the person.

Polo or maybe a Tshirt on top (definitely untucked), white or some washed out colour.Edited by covskin - 3/31/14 at 1:11pm